Past Award Recipients

Making a Difference for Women Award

2023: Crystal Boys

2022: Shelley Heartwell

2021: Ellen Monaghan & Leslie Buckle – Ujamaa Grandmas

2020: Catherine Laing – First Woman President of the Hornet’s Rugby Team and mentor to a group of young women. Recipient of the Governor General Medal of Volunteers.

2019: Andrea Silverstone – Executive Director – Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society

2018: Beba Svigir – CEO of the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA)

2017: Kimberley Engbrecht – Executive Director of Narrow Road Home, a women’s recovery centre in High River

2016: Dr. Lolly De Jonge – CEO Alberta Association of Midwives, founder of Birth Magazine, and women’s health advocate

2015: Anna Murray – Founder of Young Women in Energy (YWE) an organization for women under 40 to address the need to increase female leadership in the energy industry

2014: Shauna Curry – CEO of the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST)

2013: Pat Guillemaud – Founder and continuing facilitator of the Girl Guides program at the Calgary Young Offenders Centre

2012: Sylvia Rempel – Founder of Sewing Seeds International, a sewing training program in Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Peru

2011: Dr. Heidemarie Schroter – Practitioner on the Stoney First Nations reserve, lobbyist and mentor promoting women and children’s health including treatment of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

2010: Susan Gilles – Executive Director of the Women’s Centre of Calgary

2009: Bette Mitchell – Founder of Highbanks, Independent Living for Parenting Youth Society

2008: Carolynn Friesen – Executive Director of the Cochrane Pregnancy Care Centre

2007: Janice Eisenhauer – Founder of Canadian Women for Women Afghanistan

2006: Doreen Spence – Founder and Executive Director of Canadian Indigenous Women’s Resource Institute

2005: Dr. Jane Matheson – CEO of Woods Homes, lifelong commitment to furthering the voice of women and girls

2004: Sandra van den Brink – Executive Director of Ayudamos Foundation, provides aid to impoverished women and children in Latin America (particularly Guatemala)

2004: Jean Langdon – Volunteerism and development of safe shelters for abused women and children

2003: Myrna Dube – Rotary Challenger Park

2002: Donna Kennedy-Glans – “Bridges” humanitarian support for Women in Yemen and the Middle East

2001: Inspector Debbie Middleton-Hope – Calgary Police Service, working with young women of high risk to provide a safe environment for them

1997: Kathleen Mahoney – Lawyer and professor, working in the area of worldwide problems regarding child pornography, and sexual and gender exploitation